Turkey’s leading art fair Contemporary Istanbul is pleased to present CI Bloom, a new show with a special focus on Turkish contemporary art. Bringing together 23 galleries, the fair will take place on May 12-15 in Tersane Istanbul, a grand new venue at a historical shipyard on the Golden Horn. The pre-opening will be held on May 10-11.

Reflecting Istanbul’s growing role as a global cultural powerhouse, the fair will showcase the country’s top galleries and works by many remarkable Turkish and international artists, both established and emerging ones.

CI Bloom aims to continue energising the art market, says the Chairman of Contemporary Istanbul Ali Gureli. “After two years full of uncertainty and frustration, the art world is ready to bloom again. The last two editions of Contemporary Istanbul, which were held amid pandemic-related travel restrictions, proved that the local art market has become strong enough to have two fairs. We see more people getting interested in contemporary art and more young collectors coming to the fair.”

During CI Bloom, special attention will be devoted to NFT art. A two-day event will bring together Turkish and international experts who will talk about the potential, risks, and future of NFT. One of CI Bloom’s main objectives is to get people more familiar with digital art and emerging forms of collecting.

The participating galleries have been selected by the CI Bloom Selection Committee, comprised of some of the key figures of the Istanbul art world: Yesim Turanli (Pi Artworks), Adnan Yerebakan (Sanatorium), Moiz Zilberman (Zilberman), Tankut Aykut and Doga Oktem (Oktem Aykut), Suela Cennet (The Pill), Oktay Duran (ArtOn).

CI Bloom is organised by Contemporary Istanbul with the support of its main partner Akbank and venue partner Tersane Istanbul.